Home Comforts Of The Rosali Kind....

When I saw this wicker dog basket by the bin of a friends house, I thought of our little dog and how he could really do with a bed like this, it had a lovely country look to it and a perfect size for our little boy....

Well of course I enquired within, and before you knew it I had kindly been given new ownership of it :) Lovely friends I have it has to be said. When I got it home, I couldn't wait to make a little soft mat for inside to keep him all cosy warm. Then, I dragged out all my bestest fabrics and took ages to decide with one to use to make his mat. He is a boy, he can't have florals I thought, but then I LURVE florals, so yes he can. He is a boy so he can't have pinks and reds I thought, but I LURVE pinks and reds. So anyway to cut the choosing fabric story short, I was going to go for a pretty Cath Kidston design and then thought as I have the new Rosali curtains from Ikea ( much better quality than the thin ones that were available years ago ) his new mat would co-ordinate with those. I just love my Rosali duck egg fabric and would so love to have a whole bolt of it. Perfect for upholstery and really hard wearing. Yes may get a little dirty here and there but can simply chuck the soft mat in the washing machine and there you are....

      
I double wadded it and is so comfy, I could almost climb in and sleep there myself....

Oh yes, very cosy. I wanted to give him a more boy-ish look on one side at least, and think the red gingham just perfect....

Of course the proof is in the pudding, so got my little man to test it out....

Do you think he likes his new bed?

Oh yes I think so. And I think he sits just perfectly at home on a bed of florals don't you? And as for the Cath Kidston collar that I had been searching ages for, I found one in store and looks just adorable on him....

Now all we need to do is keep him in there, he does seem to wander onto *proper* beds at times it has to be said ;)

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Lovin' Freecycle

I was very kindly given these 6 beautiful solid pine chairs not long ago on freecycle, I really like them....

And have some exciting plans ahead for them. I really love the painted look on chairs like these. I have found so much inspiration online and have my little painted chair board on Pinterest if you would like a mooch. A couple of my favourites....

                                                          http://www.yvestown.com/

                                                         http://roomenvy.wordpress.com/

                                                             http://houseandhome.com/

I just love. Though do you think the look is a bit too twee, not very grown up like. I shall certainly have fun picking out my colours as would like a different colour for each chair. I found a lovely pine dresser on freecycle too, but more about that another day. Do you like freecycle, would love to know your most favourite freecycle item....

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Pink Ikea....

 I look forward to my little shopping jaunts to the blue and yellow store, though I really do not need half most of the things that end up in my trolley, Ikea always seem to have me in the palm of their hand. I have one maybe two items on my list that I really do need to pick up, but then somehow gradually as I walk round I see things that I think oh go on then, you can come home with me.

Firstly I saw these Rosali fleece throws and knew would be perfect for my Rosali themed bedroom and so made my wayover to pop a couple in my trolley ( that my super helpful 5 year old pushed round Ikea all by himself ). Alas they made my eyes go funny, really funny when I looked at them. Now you can't really tell from the photographs but the rosali print on these is really blurry and I thought maybe I had picked up a peculiar one that didn't quite make it properly through the manufacturing process, but no the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and so on all gave me that same blurry look. My blue eyes couldn't cope so back in their own cart they went to stay....

I was tempted to quickly nip back and just get one but I always think of the motto only buy things that make you smile....and these made me squint so not quite the same. If you see, or have seen them would love to know what you think. I saw a cushion I had had my eye on for a while but was quite pricey I thought, so was very glad to see it had been reduced to only £4.99, I love it, is so comfy and really really big infact. Admittedly not on my list but it had been on my *wish* list, so almost counts yes?

Walking round there were more bargains to be had, and I am a girl who needs her storage so in went a couple of these pretty and colourful storage boxes in the sale....

 Magazine files ( for my endless home inspiration magazines that are literally everywhere in this house ) these come in packs of four so hopefully many of my magazines shall find new tidy homes....

I was quite tempted with these as they just looked so pretty, but I had to restrain myself....

Though I did get one or two of the 25p ( in the sale) pretty artificial flowers, I have some glass milk bottles that I think these shall look ever so sweet in.

The 5 year old begged me to pop these 49p I think they were, things in the trolley, I haven't a clue what they are but he seemed happy and he was being rather helpful with the pushing of the trolley....

Candles, yes not on my list but I cannot go to ikea without coming home with a candle or two, and these pink paisley ones I thought very nice indeedy. In a couple went....

As were these lovely napkins, and go perfectly nice with the tray I got from there not too long ago....

Eventually I came to the area that I was looking for and got myself a little fabric that I had needed and had been on my proper shopping list all along. The other things, well they just danced their merry way into my trolley, andwhat could I do but take them home with me ;) Do you have shopping habits similar to mine when you go to the blue and yellow store, it would make me feel a bit better if I wasn't the only one....

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PS Just a little reminder about my last post where you could get you mitts on a fabulous ( £420 ) smartphone

Fabulous LG Optimus 3D Phone Giveaway!

Well its that time of year again where the pennies really start to count and I have to get myself into a *do I really need that* kind of thinking when out shopping, believe me, being the shopoholic I am tis hard, very hard. Doesn't one always NEED things that make us smile :) Now what is hopefully going to make you smile is the opportunity to win a fantastic LG Optimus 3D Mobile Phone, ( retailing at £420 sim free ) this is one cool phone, let me tell you a little about it....

* The world's most powerful smartphone with 3D.
* The high-performance smart phone lets you record, view and share 3D content without glasses.
* 4.3" WVGA display provides bright images allowing users to view 2D and 3D multimedia content.

Not bad huh? And here is what this baby looks like....

Getting one of these little charmers sent through the post would certainly cheer one up in these money saving times I would think, and money resolutions is what I would like to ask you about. You could be in with an opportunity of winning this fantastic phone, which has been offered by Tesco Mobile who are promoting their ever popular capped tariff's....

• Ensuring your monthly bill is never more than the cost of your tariff

• This is done by fixing your tariff so you can only use your inclusive minutes, texts and data

• The ability to top-up your account with a Pay as you go top-up, if you run out during the month

• The choice of Capping any contract on any phone across their whole range – a unique offer in the mobile market

 What I would like to know is what your new year's money saving resolutions are, and like me how you plan on saving money in this new year. Mine would obviously have to be to just not shop!! However I have been thinking of one or two little ways we as a family can be a little more money saving, and how we can save money. It began with me popping the occasional loose coin or two in our housekeeping fund tin, and it is amazing how much seems to be in there already. We are nearly ready for the big tin opener to pop by and see exactly how much money that would have been well spent ( on tat as my husband says ) by now is in there....

You have up until midnight 20th January to share your money saving resolution/s with me and a winner of the fabulous phone shall be picked shortly afterwards. Please make sure you have a valid email address so I can contact you and unfortunately on this occasion this giveaway is only open to UK residents.

Good luck!!

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Thank you for all your entries, congratulations to Nicki who was picked out of the hat :) 

Disclosure: For running this competition on behalf of Tesco Mobile, I received a shopping voucher for Tesco. 

Bobble Hat and A Chair....

I think at heart I am a traditional girl, I just love things to have that lovely handmade, homespun feel about them. Take this lovely bobble hat that Jesse made for Master Poppins via her folksy shop here I was searching for a handmade hat for him on there, and Jesse contacted me to say she had an idea of what I had in mind and I just LOVE what she came up with. I love watching him bobbing along and the cute bobble having it's own little dance on his head. I often gets remarks on it by passers by that it is lovely to see a traditional looking bobble hat and they all smile when they find out it has been handmade. Who is not smiling however is little Mr. Gingerbread, one of Master Popps' favourite treats. Oh no he is not a happy chappie at all....

They just love biting their little heads off don't they. Talking of traditional I saw this lovely chair that seemed to be going for a reasonable price in the second hand shop. I really liked it and thought would sit in quite well with my interior, though I just couldn't make a decision. I don't know what you think but it was very comfy and I could certainly see one or two of my pretty handmade cushions on it. Though do I really need ANOTHER chair? I do seem to have a thing for them....

 Well I left with no chair but now have one of those *wish I had got it now* feelings, but there we are, hopefully it has gone off to a new lovely home and all that ( or else I could just give them a little tinkle and see if it is still there ). The vintage look is so in vogue right now, and I can't see it fading fast. What do they call it, Granny Chic? If so, well I can't get enough of it ;)

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Domestic Goddess....

Here is a little bargain Christmas present I was given ( by myself ) to help and encourage me to be that domestic goddess I crave to be. Nigella is one of my favourites, having met her twice at book launches she has always been friendly to chat with, and her books do look very nice all lined up prettily on my kitchen shelf :)

I think it shall take more than one book to turn me into a domestic goddess, though a girl can dream ;)

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